By Iommie Chiwalo

The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has once more requested authorities including Chinese Embassy to facilitate the arrest of racist suspect only identified as Lu Ke and popularly known as Susu.

The push comes after CDEDI has sadly uncovered yet another tactic and shameless attempt by some sectors of the society, who are trying to defend racist Chinese national Lu Ke by twisting information to suit their selfish interests, and issuing threats to well-meaning citizens who are urging authorities to bring the suspect to book.

In a statement released on Friday June 17, 2022 and signed by CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa says the tactics are aimed at diverting attention of the general population on the sins committed by one Lu Ke.

Namiwa says some misguided individuals seem to have taken advantage of CDEDI’s calls for justice on the matter, and are reportedly busy scheming attacks on some innocent Chinese nationals.

Namiwa feels the conduct is just a deliberate ploy to divert Malawians’ attention from real issues raised by CDEDI and other human rights bodies within and outside Malawi as regards the dehumanizing said videos. 

“It is worth putting on record that the filming incident as it stands is an isolated case by an individual, and not the entire Chinese community in Malawi; therefore, it is not a matter that affects all Chinese nationals staying in this country; hence, we should not use one brash to paint all,” he says.

He has since condemned such plans and those behind them saying by giving the seven-day ultimatum, CDEDI and any of the concerned citizens and human rights campaigners are not in any way calling on anyone to take the law into their hands.

Namiwa further reiterates his organisation’s earlier stand of calling on authorities to desist from any attempts to employ delaying tactics and/or downplaying saying doing so amounts to serious crime against humanity.

He also suggests that since the matter also borders on aspects of profit-making, it is important for relevant authorities to ensure that survivors of the exploitative filming should benefit by way of compensation. 

The CDEDI boss therefore said the zeal employed in blocking South African Dancer Zodwa wabuntu by Minister of Tourism and culture should also be demonstrated in this child exploitative matter.
“Malawians are missing the efficiency of the responsible Minister Hon. Michael Ussi, and the Department of Immigration, including the Malawi Police Service, who exchanged memos until Zodwa, whom the authorities reportedly feared posed a threat to Malawi’s culture, was barred from entering the country,” he says.

Demonstrating that the current one is just a delay tactic, the same Malawi police witnessed the arrest of Erik Aniva after a BBC investigative report and this is the kind of swiftness Malawians expected to see in Susu’s case. 

“It is against this background that CDEDI and all well-meaning Malawians will stop at nothing but push for the arrest of Susu,”

Despite some tactics aimed at diverting attention of state agencies, CDEDI still demands that Lu Ke must be arrested within seven working days, Chinese Ambassador to Malawi to make a public apology to Malawians
and that the Immigration Department, the Malawi Police Service and the Malawi Trade and Investment Centre to flush out all Chinese nationals that are staying or doing business in the country illegally. 

Namiwa says failure by stated institutions to act as demanded, CDEDI wil with no choice but to mobilise the masses to hold peaceful demonstrations until Mr. Lu Ke faces the law.